The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-19
THE GOSPEL WITH A PADDOCK.


The Prudential Committee of the
American Board of Foreign Missions
who have had tho case Of Rev. r. A.
Hume under consideration for sew
eral months, have made a report. 1t
will be remembered that it was an ad-
dress of Mr.. Hume at the Andover COM
mencement which precipitated the dis
cussion in regard to future probation,
which has been raging in the Congre-
gationalist denomination and that
brought the Andover professors TO the
front as the leaders in the new heresy.
The Board refused to return Mr.. Hume
to his mission field on account of his
opinions touching the matter. The
And0uer Rerie,o and prominent Congre-
gational clergymen and churches es-
poused Mr.. Hume's position, and have
made direct issue for his return. At
the time of the Des Moines meeting it
was given out, evidently without official
authority, that Mr.. Hume would be re-
turned. This was afterward contra
dicted and the matter has been under
consideration ever since. Now the Pru-
Dental Committee report that the en-
barrassment and consequent delay have
arisen from doubt as to Mr.. Hums's
exact position. "After several inter-
views" the report goes on to say, land
"much correspondence, it appears that
''Mr. Hume regards the hypothesis in
question as not forbidden by the Scrip
lures, and that some considerations IA
''vor it, while on the other hand he af-
firms that he has not in his past utter
"ances committed himself to the accep-
"tance Of the doctrine of a probation af-
"ter death. Mr.. Hume has for eleven
"years rendered good work in the mis-
''sion field, and his recent statements
"give assurance that he will work in
'the future as in the past"
The dispatch from which we copy the
above is dated February IL. 1t does
not contain the explicit statement that
Mr.. Hume will be returned, but we in
fer thai such is the conclusion, and
that when the full report is at hand, it
will be seen that the committee have
decided that this missionary shall 60
to his foreign field with as large a
paddock upon his mouth in regard to
this heresy as they could possibly i'm
pose. How successful the committee
have been in the matter remains to be
seen. If it should appear that they have
succeeded in exacting promise from
Mr.. Hume not to preach this doctrine
of future probation, and have made that
condition Of his return, it will prove
that Mr.. Hume is not of the material
of which martyrs are made, and has
surrendered good deal of manlness to
secure his own return. 1t will also
signify that the committee have sue
ceeded in imposing new test on the
missionaries which is entirely unauth-
orized by the Congregational creed and
polity of the denomination, and for
which they will assuredly have to an.
swer in the end.
The CORgregationGliSt of last week
prints letter from the missionaries in
India, where Mr.. Hume has labored,
and remarks in defense of the former
hesitation of the Board:
"While saying that they would glad
ly welcome him back, the brethren |
there are careful to add the condition |
that he avoid teaching that doc
trine. Surely there need be no wonder |
that the prudential committee hesitate
to return him except on this condition
made by the mission"
All this makes it likely that some
compromise has been agreed upon, and
that Mr.. Hume viii go back with pad
locked lips on this question so supreme
ly important to the heather world.
The spectacle which is presented as the
possible outcome of this long continued
is not creditable either to
MIR. Hume or the Board. Here lisa man
who, amid his labors in heather eoun-
tries, has come to the conclusion that
.he gospel does not forbid hope of fu- ]